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Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who altered his given name from Paul to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

Yet, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

He noted that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from that time.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.